An unexpected meeting and the sense of joy!

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Published: Friday, 01 August 2014 16:18

Written by Somananda Sanyal

Hello All, here I am with my first blog post in our Nano2Fun Blog! Since we pledged (in our minds) for a little out of the scientific discussions, I will share a very recent experience of mine from my present address in Parma. Well, I had a small accident in here and was down with a huge cast on my leg for almost 20 days. My first vacation abroad was nearing and I was restless with the plaster on my foot and so asked for an advanced date for removing it. Early morning I went with my friends here, Domna and Miltos, to the hospital very happy to remove the cast and took the slip to wait for my turn. A man came and asked for me, so my friend stood up to accompany me as I still don't speak proper Italian. But the man told no need! I was apprehensive as to what will I understand or reply....went inside and he asked me where I am from. I replied, India! He smiled and asked, "Are you a Punjabi?" (Punjab is a province in the northern part of India and people from there are the Punjabis), I replied, "no, I am a Bengali." West Bengal, with it's capital city of Calcutta or Kolkata lies to the eastern region of India and we are called Bengalis. I belong to this particular community in India.

He smiled and his next words left me awestruck. He asked me in Bengali, "Bari kothaye?" ("Where is your home?") and I was dumbstruck, couldn't believe my ears, was I hearing correctly?! Remind you, this man was a pure Italian citizen and in no way a Bengali. He was talking to me, half bengali and half Italian (no English words at all) and I felt like I am dreaming or there must have been some problem with my head while I was down with a problem in my leg. I couldn't believe what I was hearing was right. No, it wasn't because it is any tough language or why will I hear any European speaking my native Indian language, it was a feeling of pleasure and happiness, hearing someone so far away from home speaking your mother tongue. Half of the things he spoke of I couldn't understand well, because I was dazed for sometime :) What I could understand was the fact that he had been in Bangladesh, the neighbouring country of India and sharing her political border with West Bengal, for around 6-7 months and was sent for the health and hygiene conditions in the country. He knew of many places and also of my city, Kolkata. When I came out after removing the plaster and told my friends I spoke to him in Bengali, they of course couldn't believe initially and then saw him speaking again. They were equally awestruck!

Well, miles away from home, it was a very pleasant surprise for me on a late July morning. :)